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Microsoft acquires land in Skåne for datacenter development

Microsoft confirmed today that they have acquired land in the municipality of Staffanstorp outside of Malmö in the southernmost part of Sweden, Skåne, from a private real-estate developer. The company confirms that the intention is to construct a datacenter facility on the site.

Photo: Adobe Stock

The announcement demonstrates and reconfirms that Sweden is an attractive and competitive country for international companies to expand and grow. Microsoft has been active in Sweden since the early 1980's and is a recognized leader and innovator in the technology sector.

"We are very pleased that Microsoft has decided to move forward with this site in Staffanstorp, which will complement their facilities in Sandviken and Gävle just north of Stockholm", says Tomas Sokolnicki, Investment Advisor at Business Sweden. "Our role is to identify opportunities for international companies to invest and expand in Sweden, and this decision proves that we have relevant offerings for datacenter projects across the entire country."

Sweden’s central location in the Nordics, combined with its large base of multinational companies, a thriving start-up sector and a large public sector all driving digital transformation, provides an attractive growth platform for technology-driven companies and makes the country one of Europe’s most ideal locations for international companies to invest in or expand their operations. Evidencing this, Sweden is the 2019 EU Innovation leader.

Efforts to support and facilitate the site selection process and acquisition of this property in Staffanstorp have been a close collaboration between Business Sweden, Invest in Skåne as well as Staffanstorp municipality.

Ulrika Ringdahl, CEO Invest in Skåne is happy to welcome another tech company to Skåne. “This is part of our long term strategy to highlight Southern Sweden as a leader in innovation and tech competence. Our region has a long history of engineering, science and education, resulting in a rich ecosystem of innovative technologies, companies and collaboration. Our hope it that this investment will bring new jobs and skills into the region.”

The datacenter industry in Sweden has experienced steady, double-digit growth for the past few years and a recent report by the Nordic Council of Ministers predicts investments in construction reaching several billion Euros annually by 2025. An analysis of a large-scale datacenter in Sweden (Facebook, Luleå) by engineering firm Sweco (2017) shows a number of positive developments in the region, apart from the significant financial investment and the workforce needed for construction and operations:

Supply-chain companies moving to the region

Enhanced power & digital infrastructure

Employment for the replacement of equipment every 2-3 years

Significantly increased activity in the science park

Research initiatives

New education and training programs in secondary education, vocational programs and university

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Invest in Skåne is the official business promotion agency for Sweden's southernmost region Skåne. We provide professional advice and services to international companies considering Skåne for future investment and assist regional companies in developing their international business.